Kelowna

The MLA for Kelowna-Lake Country says he's pleased with what he, and his fellow Central Okanagan Liberal MLAs have been able to do for the region.

But, Norm Letnick says there is still much more work to be done.

Prior to a Chamber of Commerce sponsored luncheon Wednesday, Letnick touted a number of capital initiatives he, Kelowna-Mission MLA Steve Thomson and Kelowna West MLA Ben Stewart have been able to achieve.

These include the latest widening project of Highway 97, the hospital expansion,a continued focus on new affordable housing initiatives, the new OBC Okanagan library building which should be complete soon and the new Okanagan College health building.

"Lots done, but more to do," said Letnick.

The to do list includes a new school to replace the aging Rutland Middle School, a new middle school in Lake Country, transportation initiatives such as interchanges in West Kelowna and improvements to the Beaver Lake/Highway 97/Glenmore intersection in Lake Country, as well as improvements in transit.

"On the legislative side, we of course have disagreements with the government, especially in areas of economic growth. Things like the spec tax, employer health tax. These are things that will dampen economic growth. We are a party that believes we need the economic growth to afford the social programs that we have," said Letnick.

"In the short-term, as the government is doing, it's always easy to spend money. But, if you scare away investment as they're doing, then over the long-term, you'll have less money to invest in those social programs."

While the government's new speculation tax has been approved, it won't be implemented until 2019, unless something unforeseen happens, and the the government somehow falls.

He reiterated if that happened, and the Liberals are returned to power, one of their first pieces of legislation would be to "axe the tax," referring to the controversial spec tax.